Healthy Optimism
by captainlobotomy
Summary: Scully learns the truth about why Mulder doesn't let her drive.


"Shotgun again. Typical." Scully rolled her eyes, opening the passenger side door and climbing in.

"I'm sorry, Scully but even with those heels..." Mulder started.

"Yeah, yeah, little legs, got it." Scully snapped back sharply, positioning her posterior in the seat and crossing her arms angrily.

After a few hours of driving and god knows how many radio cut outs Scully began getting restless. Tongue clicking, fart noises, finger tapping, the works. "You okay there, Scully? Sound like you're getting a little antsy there."

Scully rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation, "Mulder, my brain is shrivelling. All I've heard for as long as I can remember is the news cutting out and static and it's cramped..." Scully began to raise her voice, "can I please, please drive for a bit Mulder!?"

"That's what this is about?" Mulder laughed a little, "it's never seemed to bother you before."

"It is now."

Mulder stared ahead at the road intently, tapping his fingers against the wheel. "Yeah, fine. Sure, Scully." He said quietly, concealing nervousness.

"Great. Next rest stop?"

"Sure."

The pair sat in silence, Scully peaking over every few minutes to look at her partner who was biting his cheek nervously and sitting at the edge of his seat as if he were about to break into a nervous sweat.

At the next rest stop Mulder ran into the gas station before jumping back into the car. Both of the agents annoyingly adjusted their seats for almost ten minutes before taking off again.

After about twenty minutes of driving and Mulder rolling his window down, Scully noticed Mulder reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a couple tablets. Mulder discreetly popped the tablets into his mouth and stared out the window, slowly resting his head on it.

The next time Scully looked at her partner his arms were tucked around his torso and he was shuffling uncomfortably. Scully scoffed, "who's stir crazy now?"

Mulder didn't look at Scully. Just replied with a, "hm."

After a few minutes Scully noticed Mulder's legs tucked up against his chest and his head buried in his knees until he reached into his pocket again and she saw his mouth open to accept more tablets. Scully let the silence loom for a bit before looking back at the other agent, "Mulder are you alright?"

Mulder pulled his head up and rested it on his hands before saying anything, "fine."

Scully looked him over, pale face, ruffled hair, "you sure about that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah... just... tired."

Scully shook her head in disbelief, she knew he was far from okay but she also knew he was stubborn. There was really no choice but to wait it out it seemed.

After about forty minutes Mulder shot up, eyes wide open and stunned, "Scully, pull over."

Startled, the medical doctor pulled over the car as quickly as she could and watched as her partner rushed to manoeuvre his tie over his shoulder and vacate the vehicle , leaving the door open and rushing into the ditch. Scully rushed out behind him, quickly noticing the strained sound of her partner puking his guts out.

Scully gingerly walked up behind him and started rubbing his back, waiting until the ordeal was over before prying with questions. After a solid few minutes of Mulder dry heaving and shaking beneath Scully's hand she wrapped her arm around him for some support, a surprising amount of dead weight leaning on her. Mulder spit a couple of times before Scully guided him back to the car, leaning him against it while she opened the back door and helped him climb in to lay down. "You alright?" she asked. Mulder only laughed in response. Earth to Scully, Captain Obvious called.

"Mulder why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?"

"Well you wanted to drive so bad, Scully. I wasn't going to stop an ambitious woman from achieving her goals." He joked.

Scully almost smacked herself. It was so obvious to her now why Mulder always wanted to drive. He had gotten motion sickness enough that she should have clued in. "You get car sick," she said out loud, mostly to herself.

"Think it might be about time to renew that medical licence, Doctor Scully."

"I'm sorry, Mulder. I feel like such an ass." She started, "but you really should have told me. Are you really so stubborn that you're willing to sacrifice your health?" Mulder stared at Scully as she recalled every time he had broken into a government agency or pissed off the NSA. "Spoke too soon. Do you think you'd be alright if I drove to the nearest hotel?"

"I think I'll survive, how far?"

Scully bit her nails for a bit, "I'm not entirely sure but if I'm going to take an optimistic guess I would say ten minutes."

"I'm sure I'll make it ten minutes if I stay optimistic," he retorted sarcastically.

"Hang in there, Mulder." Scully said, closing the back door and climbing into the front seat.

All of five minutes into the drive Mulder let out a small whimper. "How're you feeling, Mulder?" Mulder moaned and Scully sympathetically recoiled a little, grinding her teeth.

"How long has it been?" he winced.

"A few minutes," Scully offered.

"Good thing I'm an optimist."

Scully obsessively fixated on every passing road sign as Mulder's nausea and irritability grew more palpable until she saw a sign signifying a motel only three miles ahead. "Oh thank god," she sighed to herself.

Mulder mentally cheered when he finally felt the car stop. "Best be safe and wait in the car while I get a room."

"Just one room for two agents? Scandalous."

"Mulder, you're sick. If I have to explain my decision to Skinner he'll understand that I took an oath as a doctor."

Mulder opened his mouth to offer a sarcastic comment but his stomach twisted and he shifted into foetal position. Scully watched Mulder's pained movement and hurried inside to get them a room.

Sculled dropped the room key into her pocket and opened the back door of the car, carefully touching Mulder's back to get his attention. "Think you can make it to the room?" Mulder nodded and took the arm she offered to help support him to the motel room. Scully unlocked the room door while Mulder held his stomach as if his organs were spilling out, doubling over with his arms wrapped around him. Scully wrapped an arm around his back and guided him through the room and into the bathroom where he fell to his knees in front of the toilet.

Scully imagined it would probably be safe to leave Mulder to his business now that he was in a bathroom and not standing while she ran to get him some water and remedies from the motel lobby.

When Scully hurriedly returned she could still hear the echo of Mulder's strained dry heaving into the toilet. Guilt constricted her chest. He was a jerk about the driving and he was stubborn but this is a pretty steep penalty for stubbornness and she should have clued in earlier. Especially given Mulder's history of motion sickness.

Scully quietly walked into the bathroom, uncapping the water and kneeling next to Mulder who was temporarily breaking from gagging by resting his head on his arms, draped over the toilet seat and catching his breath while stifling small whimpers. "Mulder," Scully whispered softly, resting a hand on Mulder's trembling back. Her partner looked at her with teary eyes, exhausted. She gestured the water in front of him. Mulder moaned and shakily accepted the water, drinking it slowly and carefully until he felt nauseous again. Mulder stared into the toilet bowl, awaiting the inevitable. "How long have you gotten car sick?" Scully asked, recalling her brother's friend who didn't start getting car sick until his late twenties.

Mulder rested his head back onto his arm. "Since my sister went missing." Mulder said, matter of factly. After lowering his eyes and a little consideration he added, "I think." Mulder rested his hand on his stomach and winced, positioning himself against the wall and sliding onto the floor.

Scully watched the ridicules, superstitious special agent and sighed, "come on, Mulder. Let's get you into bed."

Mulder glanced uneasily around the room, unsure if he could get himself into bed without being sick or falling over. Mulder redirected his worried gaze toward his partner who gave him a sympathetic look back and offered him a hand in getting up. Once on his feet, Mulder doubled over with his arms comfortably wrapped around his stomach. After Scully's arm was comfortably supporting Mulder he bent down substantially more to rest his head on top of hers. She smirked silently as she guided her partner into bed.

Mulder gazed sleeping at Scully as she noticed something, "Mulder, is your belt still on?"

He looked down, "I guess so."

"Why didn't you take it off? That must be so uncomfortable!"

"Still got my tie too."

Scully rolled her eyes, reaching for Mulder's tie and loosening it before pulling it over his head and disregarding it. Then she undid his belt and he sighed in relief, "feel better?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Mulder nodded, eyes closed. Scully retrieved a small trash bin placing it onto the night stand just in case and running her fingers through Mulder's head. The alien fanatic hummed in appreciation.

"Maybe next time I drive it'll be you in this position," Mulder said, jokingly threatening.

"Let's not get too optimistic," the doctor said, lulling her partner to sleep.


End file.
